A ground-breaking ceremony is held in Wenchang, southernmost China's Hainan Province, September 14, 2009, marking the beginning of construction of a new space launch center in this city. The Wenchang Space Launch Center is designed for launching new-generation rocket-carriers and space vehicles like geo-synchronous (GEO) satellites, polar-orbiting satellites, space stations and deep-space exploration satellites. [Xinhua]

China on Monday began construction of its new space launch center in Wenchang City, on the northeast coast of the tropical island province of Hainan, which is scheduled to be completed by 2013.

The Hainan Space Satellite Launch Center, the fourth and the lowest latitude one in China, only 19 degrees north of the equator, would allow China to take part in more international commercial space launches, said Wang Weichang, director of the Hainan Space Center Project Headquarters.

He said at the cornerstone laying ceremony of the center that the new launch site will be mainly used for launching synchronous satellites, heavy satellites, large space stations, and deep space probe satellites.